Amos Milburn

1927-1980

The Texanboogie woogie pianist and singer was an important marker in the map of blues music in the years following World War II. His best work encapsulated much of what was good about his Houston, hipster's romp style, piano work. Thus, Milburn remains an important figure in the history of bluesmusicianship.

Milburn's boogleing R&B records rocked as hard as the later Rock 'n' Roll.^[6] Milburn was one of the first performers to switch from sophisticated jazz arrangements to a rougher jump blues. He began to put rhythm first and technical qualities of voice and

instrumentation second.^[7] His high-energy numbers, about getting 'high', led the way for a 10 year party, jointly celebrated by fellow musician admirers, such as Little Willie Littlefield, Floyd Dixon and his prime disciple, Fats Domino.^[3]

He was a commercial success for eleven years and influenced many performers. Fats Domino consistently credited Milburn as an influence on his music. At least one person has noted the similarity between Milburn's piano fills and Chuck Berry's later guitar stylings. Milburn was a musical pioneer, who made the transition from the swing and jump blues of the 1940s, to the R&B of the late 1940s and early 1950s, that evolved into today's rock music

Artist Jim Blanchard